WICKER PARK — A masked thief smashed a window and looted a Wicker Park tobacco shop of more than $14,000 in cash and $3,000 in cigarettes — and it was all caught on the shop's surveillance cameras.
The thief, his head wrapped in a white cloth, can be seen on the videos ripping off Smoke Times in the 1800 block of West Division Street.
Officer Thomas Sweeney, a Chicago Police spokesman, said police got a call of a break-in at the store around 3:05 a.m. Monday.
Witnesses told police the burglar smashed a window and was later seen leaving with a box.
Smoke TImes manager Asif Zaman shared a portion of the surveillance video with DNAinfo. Watch below:
Zaman said the burglar got away with a big haul, including a safe with $3,317 in Lotto ticket cash sales and another $10,274.51 in cash from store sales since June 1.
He also made off with more than two dozen cartons of cigarettes — a combination of Camel, Marlboro, Parliament and Newport. They were taken from a storage chest in the backroom, Zaman said.
"About 25 to 30 cartons, valued at $105 on average each," Zaman said.
In the video, the man, after breaking in, heads into the back of the store where he can't be seen. But that's where he was stuffing the cartons into a box. He also snatched the store's safe or "black box," Zaman said.
The thief also took 30 scales, used to weigh tobacco, valued between $24-$60 per scale.
The thief got away. No further information was available and police are investigating.
Smoke Times, 1850 W. Division St. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
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